Career History
Experience
Over 20 years of progressive IT leadership and architecture roles, currently active as an independent consultant through Arnold Ruijter IT.
Current
Arnold Ruijter IT
Owner · Freelance IT Consultant Current
Jan 2026 – Present
Arnold Ruijter IT · Castricum
- Independent IT consultancy providing enterprise and domain architecture, integration architecture, IT leadership, and IT strategy services.
- Operating across sectors — from retail and fashion to public sector — at the scale and level that adds most value.
Current Assignment
Interim IT Consultant · Project Leader ESB Tender Current
Mar 2026 – Present
GR IJsselgemeenten · Capelle aan den IJssel
Via Arnold Ruijter IT · Public sector · South Holland
- Leading the European public procurement process (EU aanbesteding) for an Enterprise Service Bus on behalf of GR IJsselgemeenten — a cooperation of municipalities in the South Holland region.
- Authoring core procurement documents: Startnotitie, Aanbestedingsstrategie, and Programma van Eisen (PvE).
- Conducting market consultation to validate requirements and understand the vendor landscape.
- Managing the formal tender procedure via TenderNed, including publication and Nota van Inlichtingen (Q&A rounds with suppliers).
- Evaluating proposals against defined award criteria and preparing the Gunningsadvies (award recommendation).
- Coordinating with legal, IT, and management stakeholders across the participating municipalities throughout the process.
Background
Previous Employment
EMEA Tech Director
Sep 2024 – Nov 2025
New Balance Europe BV · Amsterdam
- Responsible for Enterprise Architecture within EMEA and alignment with global IT governance.
- Developing target architecture for ERP migration, data foundations, and integrations.
- Co-owner of BI Governance program: promoting data quality, governance, and data-driven decision-making.
- Leading European transformation initiatives, including onboarding new countries and rationalizing IT landscapes.
- Stakeholder management with global teams in Boston and delivery teams in Pune.
Director IT Transformation
Nov 2020 – Aug 2024
Karl Lagerfeld Europe BV · Amsterdam
- Responsible for overall IT strategy, Enterprise Architecture, and annual roadmap.
- Built a broad IT organization (5 → 25+ FTE) across ERP, BI, security, eCom, infrastructure, and integration.
- Migrated to modern cloud and SaaS platforms: OKTA, Boomi, Meraki, OneStream, Infor PLM, Akeneo PIM, AuditBoard.
- 60% fewer support issues through network and retail platform modernization.
- Prepared ERP migration to Infor CloudSuite; improved omnichannel and integrations.
Owner (Freelance)
May 2019 – Oct 2020
Ruijter ElaborIT · Castricum
- IT and enterprise architecture advice for retail and fashion clients (including Crocs, McGregor).
- Development of target architectures and standardized business processes.
- Working on EDI, data quality, middleware, eCom (Shopify), and ERP (SAP).
- Coordination between European and US IT teams, including harmonisation of data and integration strategy.
PVH Europe BV · Amsterdam
Apr 2007 – Apr 2019 · 12 years
Sr. Manager ERP Development & Integration
Jan 2016 – Apr 2019
- Led SAP ERP and integration teams (AFS/FMS, HANA, PI/PO, Gateway, FIORI, Sterling).
- Architecture and governance around ERP migration from AFS to FMS.
- Strengthened OmniChannel, API/Microservices, PIM, and BI capabilities.
- Active role in SOX compliance and alignment with internal/external auditors.
Manager ICT Integration
Apr 2013 – Dec 2015
- Responsible for integration architecture across multiple brands (Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger).
- Modernized legacy integration landscape; migrated from Sterling to SAP PI.
- Designed middleware, EDI, B2B, and EAI solutions for supply chain, retail, and finance.
Team Lead Integration
Apr 2007 – Mar 2013
- Supported integration of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger systems, including migration from AS400 to SAP.
- Design of middleware interfaces and integration standards for scalability and efficiency.
- Onboarded Japanese operations and supported concession and consignment models.
Business Systems Analyst Integration
Sep 2005 – Mar 2007
Tommy Hilfiger Europe BV · Amsterdam
- Developed and maintained SAP interfaces using Gentran Sterling; supported B2B and EAI integrations.
- Led eInvoicing projects and external system integrations; modeled processes and improved infrastructure.
Data Manager & EDI Coordinator
2002 – 2005
Vomar Voordeelmarkt · Alkmaar
- Managed retail system data, article creation, and supplier information; supported store operations and reporting.
- Contributed to EDI implementation and warehouse logistics system rollout.